Over The Edge And Back Again
by vamp926
Summary: After Vance splits the team up, new evidence comes into light. Spoilers for Judgement Day!
1. Over The Edge And Back Again

Over The Edge and Back Again

Tony angrily threw wads of clothing at the suitcase that lay open on his bed. Special Agent afloat, Tony was considering handing in his badge for that one. How could Vance split up the team when they needed each other the most? Suddenly, Tony sank to the floor, unable to hold back the wealth of emotions that had accumulated since he had seen Jenny dead on the floor. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and his whole body was shaking, unable to stop. The sobs came in short bursts and he pulled his knees into his chest.

Suddenly he felt two arms, soft but strong, wrap around him. He turned into the comforting embrace and dark brown hair fell across his face.

"It's all my fault," Tony started saying. "Ziva, it's all my fault."

"Shhh," Ziva said as she began stroking Tony's hair. "It's not your fault."

"Ziva, you don't understand. We were supposed to protect her; I was supposed to protect her." Tony said, the tears still flowing freely.

Ziva pulled Tony to her more tightly and tears silently slipped down her own cheeks. She had just lost one of her very best friends.

* * *

McGee entered Abby's lab to find it silent.

"Abby?" McGee called. He had come down here to tell Abby about his re-assignment.

"In here," Abby's voice called quietly. McGee walked into Abby's inner lab and found her curled up in a corner behind her desk with a death grip on Bert. McGee slide down the wall beside Abby and lifted his arm so she could lean on him.

"She's gone," Abby said quietly and McGee could feel the tears soaking through his shirt.

"I know, Abs," McGee said, running his hand up and down her back.

"And she died alone, with no one to hold her hand. No one to comfort her, to tell her it would be alright," Abby said, more tears flowing down her cheek.

"Abby, she knew what she was doing," McGee said.

"Timmy, promise me something. When I die, I don't want to be alone," Abby said.

"I promise," McGee said as he kissed Abby's forehead. "I promise."

* * *

A crash startled Gibbs and he looked at the floor and was surprised to see his bourbon bottle shattered on the floor.

"You surprise me, Jethro," a voice said. Gibbs looked up and saw Jenny standing before him, dressed as she was before she had left for California. "Killing Svetlana, burning down my house, and now drinking yourself into oblivion."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

"To protect you," Jenny said.

"I didn't need protecting," Gibbs said.

"Don't you understand? I gave my life for you, and I would do it again," Jenny said.

"Mike told me what you said, about why you left," Gibbs said.

"You must know that I regret it now," Jenny said.

"To late for that, Jen," Gibbs said.

"It's never too late, Jethro," Jenny said, just as she started to fade. "I always loved you."

Gibbs continued to stare at the spot where she had been standing for hours, until his phone rang.

"Boss, we're all going to the airport to see Ziva off, I'm in your driveway," Tony's voice sounded.

"I'll be out," Gibbs said and hung up. He pulled his jacket on and walked up the stairs. His team needed him.

* * *

**Raise you hand if you were pissed after watching last night's epi... looks around and raises hand  
OMG, I gasped, and I haven't gasped like that since I thought Tony got blown up. I had a gut feeling about who died, so that didn't really surprise me, but the very end... I couldn't breathe. I was talking to Cable Addict when it happened and I couldn't even type. When I finally regained my senses, I started this one shot. I can't wait for September... please review!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	2. And You Felt Guilty

And You Felt Guilty

Tony returned to his apartment after dropping Ziva off at the airport. When they had said goodbye, Ziva had kissed his lips softly and promised to come back and visit. Tony collapsed on his couch and ran his hands through his hair. His flight for the USS Ronald Reagan didn't leave until later that day. His suitcase was packed and waiting by the door. He had already been to the post office to hold his mail and he had had his landline turned off. All he had left to do was wait.

"It's not your fault you know," a voice said, startling Tony. Tony looked up and found himself face to face with Jenny, her shirt and arm bloody.

"It is my fault. If it had been Gibbs, he would have followed you," Tony said, tears coming to his eyes for the second time since her death.

"But you're not Gibbs. I gave you an order, you followed it, plain and simple," Jenny said.

"I just couldn't bring myself to look at him," Tony said. "When he got there, I couldn't look at him."

"You felt guilty," Jenny said.

"Yeah," Tony said.

"Don't feel guilty, don't carry it around with you, you'll turn into Gibbs," Jenny said, and then she slowly faded from Tony's view.

* * *

Ziva sat on the plane, her forehead up against the window, looking out at the ocean below. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut and she let sleep overtake her.

_Ziva was standing in the diner, evidence of the firefight clearly evident. Suddenly Jenny stepped out from behind a column._

"_I'm sorry, Jenny," Ziva said._

"_It's not your fault," Jenny said. "You already saved my life once, twice was too much to ask for. I was dying anyway."_

"_That doesn't make a difference," Ziva said._

"_I gave you and order, which I know that you grudgingly followed," Jenny said. "I needed to do that, and I did it to save Gibbs."_

"_I'll miss you, Jenny. You were one of my true friends," Ziva said._

"_I'll never be far," Jenny said and then slowly disappeared._

Ziva awoke with a start to voices over the PA system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are beginning out descent into Tel Aviv. Please fasten your seat belts and return your trays to their full, upright position."

* * *

McGee slammed his hand down on his desk. All that had happened yesterday and today was bullshit. Abby had not taken the news of the tem being broken up well. Her goodbye to Ziva had been a tearful one and she had said goodbye to Tony at the airport as well. McGee had left her at her apartment in a deep sleep, which she had cried herself into.

McGee grudgingly began tossing his stuff into box they he had stopped at the grocery store to pick up. He was emptying a drawer when he came across two pictures. The first was of the team and Kate, taken right before Ari had popped back into their lives. Kate was in between Tony and himself and Gibbs was next to Tony. The second picture was of the team with Ziva that had been taken at the previous year's holiday party. Ziva was sitting on Tony's desk and Tony was on his chair, peeking out around Ziva's body. Gibbs was standing in front of the plasma, his arm around Abby. McGee was standing next Ducky and Ducky was standing next to Jen.

McGee smiled at how happy they all looked, they looked like a family. Tears pricked the corners of McGee's eyes and he quickly wiped them away.

* * *

Abby awoke from her slumber to find McGee gone. She remembered him mentioning having to pack up his desk, but she knew that he would be back. Abby curled herself into a half sitting position on her bed, clung to her stuffed animal tightly and let the event of the past few days run through her head.

She had known something was wrong the minute that Tony and Ziva had stopped answering their phones. She had harassed McGee for hours, making him call them multiple times. She didn't understand at first why Gibbs had suddenly up and left for LA, but when he had called Ducky, the reason had been all too clear. Jenny Shepard was dead.

Abby didn't handle death in the family well. She had all but fallen apart when Kate died, but to lose someone that Abby thought of as a mother was too much to bear. Then, to hear that her family was being ripped apart when they needed each other the most had sent Abby into a downward spiral. Deciding to get out of bed, Abby got up and headed for her liquor cabinet. Opening the door, Abby selected Jack Daniels and poured herself a shot.

"Jack, Jim, and Jose, the only men a woman can trust," Abby mumbled to herself as she poured herself another shot of Jack Daniels.

"You shouldn't be doing that, Abby," a voice said, startling Abby. Abby whipped herself around and found herself face to face with Jenny.

"Director," Abby said, stuttering slightly.

"There' no need for that anymore, Abby, call me Jenny," Jenny said.

"Jenny," Abby said and then shook her head. "I can't, it just feels weird."

"That's alright," Jenny said. "Does Gibbs know you're planning on drinking yourself into oblivion?"

"Gibbs probably is already in oblivion," Abby said, a slight smirk on her face.

"Abby, if Gibbs asks you to do anything to get the team back together, do it," Jenny said.

"Do you know something?" Abby asked.

"If I do, I can't tell you," Jenny said.

"I'll miss you, you know?" Abby said, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"And I'll miss you, Abby," Jenny said, and then she disappeared leaving Abby with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**So, due to the popular demand by the fans, I've decided to continue this fic. A special thanks to my Dad who gave me the idea for the storyline. Please review, you know how much I love it.**

**Also, special thanks to Cable Addict for being my sounding board! Check out our collaboration fic, Expressions, posted under our joint account, bellisariosgirls.**

**I would also like to take this time to thank everyone who reviewed for the first chapter. A one-shot got over 30 reviews!! THANK YOU!!**

"**So, what dirt do you have on the new director?" (Preview of Chapter 3)**


	3. Not All Treasure Is Silver And Gold

Not All Treasure Is Silver And Gold

Tony jumped out of the chopper, hauling his bags with him. He adjusted his sunglasses and headed over to the only person on deck wearing civilian clothes.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Tony said, sticking out his hand to the other agent.

"Special Agent Melissa Doyle," the agent said and she stuck out her hand.

"And how long until I am the only agent afloat?" Tony asked

"Two days," Melissa said as she picked up one of Tony's bags and carried it inside. Tony followed her.

"What's it like?" Tony asked.

"What, being a agent afloat?" Melissa said. "Boring, no action and tons of paperwork."

"Good God," Tony said.

"Yeah, a lot of people have that reaction," Melissa said, stopping in front of a door and opening it. "These will be your quarters."

"Well, I suppose they're better then what the sailors have," Tony said as he tossed his bags on the bed. The room was small with a bed, a table, and a book case. Off to the one side there was a small bathroom with a shower, toilet, and bath.

"Dinner is at six in the galley," Melissa said.

"Thanks," Tony said.

"Wanna have a beer with me after dinner?" Melissa asked. Tony considered her offer for a moment.

"Sure," Tony said.

"Alright, I'll leave you to unpack, see you later," Melissa said, and then left, leaving Tony alone in his thoughts.

* * *

Ziva looked up from her computer when a shadow covered her desk.

"Yes, Officer Bashan?" Ziva asked, looking up at Michael's younger son.

"Director David you like a word with you," the young boy replied.

"Aaron, there is no need to be so formal," Ziva said as she stood up. "By the way, how is Amira?"

"She is good, pregnancy is treating her well," Aaron said.

"Good," Ziva said and then walked towards her father's office. His secretary was sitting at her desk when Ziva walked up.

"Shalom, Ziva," she greeted.

"Shalom, Dana," Ziva said.

"Your father is waiting for you," Dana said. Ziva nodded and pushed open the double doors. Her father was sitting at his desk with his glasses on, looking over some papers.

"Shalom, Aba," Ziva said as she sat down in a chair.

"Shalom, Ziva," Chaim David said as he studied his daughter. This was the first time that he had seen her since her return to Tel Aviv. She was more of a woman then she had been three years ago, softer.

"You wanted to see me," Ziva said, it wasn't a question. She may have been gone for three years, but she knew that she was only called to her father's office when he had a mission for her.

"I have a mission for you, if you think you can handle it," Chaim said. Ziva flinched slightly, but held the gaze of her father.

"Ken, Aba?" Ziva said, reverting to Hebrew.

"We believe that there is an undercover Hamas operative on the USS Ronald Reagan," Chaim told her as he tossed a file across his desk.

"Why is this not being given to NCIS?" Ziva asked. "I mean, they have an agent afloat on that ship," Ziva said, carefully concealing her emotions. Her father did not know that one of her old team members was on that ship, and he did not need to know.

"Because, since they terminated you, I have no reason to be civil and share information," Chaim said sharply. "Let their new Director crash the agency himself, I will not let Mossad be pulled into it as well, as we certainly would have been if you had stayed."

"So you know that I was sent back against my will?" Ziva asked. Chaim eyed his daughter, searching for any emotions.

"Yes, I received a call from Director Vance himself, telling me that your services were no longer required," Chaim said. "Funnily enough, several hours later, I received a call from a Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He explained to me that you would soon enough be allowed to return to NCIS and he wanted my assurances that you would be allowed to return."

"And?" Ziva asked.

"I said that if you were available I would allow you to return, and if you were on a mission that you would return after your mission was completed," Chaim said. Ziva inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Toda, Aba," Ziva said.

"Al lo davar," Chaim said. "Now, about your mission."

* * *

Tony sighed and looked at his laptop. He hadn't even been here for two hours and he was already bored. He had already unpacked and rearranged his furniture to his liking and now he was going over files. She stared down at the keyboard and smiled. In the lower left hand corner had had taped pictures of Kate and Jenny, so he would always remember. On the other side he had taped a picture of the whole team; Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, Abby, Jenny, Ducky, and even Palmer. There was a knock at the door and Tony turned around.

"Come in," Tony called. Melissa appeared through the open door.

"I thought you could use a beer now," Melissa said, opening her jacket to reveal to bottle in her pocket.

"Agent Doyle, you are a man's saving grace," Tony said as Melissa walked in. She dragged over a chair and handed a beer to Tony, who accepted it gratefully. He popped the top open and took a long sip and then sighed.

Have a girl back home?" Melissa asked after she too had taken a sip of her beer.

"No," Tony said. "But there was someone special."

"What happened?" Melissa asked, taking another sip.

"My boss had a rule, never date a co-worker," Tony said.

"Ah," Melissa said. "My husband is in Iraq."

"Marine?" Tony asked.

"Yup, Lieutenant Marcus Doyle," Melissa said.

"Do you miss him?" Tony asked.

"Like crazy," Melissa admitted.

"How long have you been out here?" Tony asked.

"One year," Melissa said. "And I haven't seen Marcus for two."

"Wow, and I thought my punishment was bad," Tony mumbled.

"Speaking of punishment," Melissa said, "what dirt do you have on the new director that got you sent out here?"

* * *

**I know, I'm evil, I left you with a cliff-hanger. Tough, you'll get over it. Please review, pretty please. And oh yeah, anyone catch what the titles are a reference to yet? Hehe, if no one gets it in a couple chapters, I'll tell you. Happy reading!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	4. Welcome Aboard

Welcome Aboard

Tony had just leaned forward in anticipation to hear what Melissa had to say when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Tony called rolling his eyes. A petty officer stuck his head around the door.

"Agent DiNozzo, you have a phone call," the petty officer said. Tony sighed and looked apologetically at Melissa.

"Where do I go?" Tony asked.

"The bridge," the petty officer said.

"Who is it anyway?" Tony asked.

"A Sophie Ranier," the petty officer said.

* * *

When Tony arrived at the bridge there was another petty officer holding the phone out. Tony hurriedly took it.

"Sophie?" Tony asked.

"Tony," Ziva's voice said, sounding static over the phone. "Don't say my name out loud."

"What's going on?" Tony asked.

"Mossad believes that there is an undercover Hamas operative on board," Ziva said.

"So why didn't you tell dad?" Tony said, now understanding the need for secrecy.

"My father has cut all ties to NCIS until Vance is out of the director's office. Meanwhile, he's sending me in undercover. I'm coming undercover as your wife, Lisa DiNozzo."

"When is Lisa getting here?" Tony asked.

"Two days from now. I've already spoken to the captain, and he has agreed," Ziva said.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later," Tony said.

"Who was that?" Melissa asked.

"My sister," Tony said.

"What did she want?" Melissa asked.

"My wife is coming," Tony said.

* * *

Two days later Ziva stepped off of the helicopter, holding her hair out of her face. She saw Tony standing off o the side, along with a tall blonde woman who was surrounded by bags. Ziva walked over and threw her arms around Tony.

"Tony, I missed you," Ziva said. Tony hugged her back and then lightly kissed her on the lips.

"Melissa, I would like you to meet my wife, Lisa," Tony said. Ziva held out her hand and Melissa shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Tony has told me a ton about you," Melissa said.

"That's funny, because Tony has told me nothing about you," Ziva said, sounding like a jealous wife.

"Lisa, this is Melissa Doyle, she used to be the Agent afloat," Tony said. "She's leaving today."

"I wish you well," Ziva said. Melissa then turned to Tony and hugged him.

"Call me if you need me," Melissa whispered in Tony's ear and then headed towards the chopper that had just dropped Ziva off. Tony then turned to Ziva.

"So my dear, how was your flight?"

* * *

Gibbs looked up from his desk as a shadow covered it. He found himself face to face three people looking a little lost.

"Can I help you?" Gibbs asked with a slight smile on his face.

"We're looking for Special Agent Gibbs," one of the three said.

"Well, you're looking at him," Gibbs said.

"Oh," the one who had spoken up before said.

"You look disappointed," Gibbs said. "Who were you expecting, Satan?"

"No," another agent said. There was silence in the bullpen for a moment and then the agent that had been silent stepped forward.

"I'm Special Agent Mikaela Banes," the agent said, holding out her hand, expecting Gibbs to shake it. He ignored it and turned to the other two agents.

"Do you two have names, or am I going to have to call you Probie One and Probie Two?" Gibbs said.

"Special Agent Samuel Grimes," the one said and then Gibbs turned to the one who had still not revealed his name and raised his eyebrows.

"Special Agent Scott Morris," the last one said. Gibbs eyed them for a moment.

"Agent Banes," Gibbs said. "Your desk will be the one next to mine. Agent Grimes, across from me, and Agent Morris, the desk next to Agent Grimes." They all headed to their designated desks and quietly sat down.

About a half an hour later Gibbs stood up and his new agents looked at him.

"Come on, you need to meet the rest of the team," Gibbs said and headed towards the elevator. The three silently followed him.

Gibbs took them to Abby first. Her lab was silent, which Gibbs still wasn't used to. Yesterday, Abby had received a memo that her music was disturbing and she was no longer allowed to play it. Gibbs had thought that that was ridiculous, even Morrow had let her be herself.

When they walked in, Abby was at her computer with her headphones on, rocking slightly back and forth to whatever music she was listening to. Gibbs walked up behind her and grabbed her shoulders. Abby let loose a small scream and then turned to face Gibbs.

"Gibbs, you shouldn't do that to me," Abby said.

"Sorry, Abs, couldn't resist," Gibbs said.

"Is that them?" Abby whispered in Gibbs's ear.

"Yes, Abby. Play nice," Gibbs said. Abby eyed the three new agents suspiciously.

"Team, this is Abby, our forensic tech," Gibbs said. "Abby, this is Agent Bane, Agent Grimes, and Agent Morris."

"Hi," Abby said halfway decently.

"Abs, I'm going to run and get coffee before I take them down to meet Ducky. Why don't you show them the lab?" Gibbs said. Abby gave him a look but turned to face the team as Gibbs walked out.

"Is it true that Agent Gibbs slaps his agents on the head?" Mikaela asked.

"Only if he really likes you, so don't expect to get slapped any time soon," Abby said tightly.

* * *

McGee had been standing in front of the door to the Cyber Crimes Unit for about five minutes now. He didn't need to imagine what it would be like in there, he knew, from personal experience. Inside there would be no lights, except those coming from the many monitors that McGee knew would be in there. All the people inside would be textbook geeks that Tony would have a field day with, pale, skinny, glasses, hadn't seen the light of day for months, oh yes, Tony would have definitely had a field day with his new co-workers.

Deciding that he had put it off long enough, McGee pushed open the door. Inside was just as he had suspected, with four people sitting at desks, three monitors to a desk. They all looked up when McGee entered.

"Hello," the person closest to him to said. "You must be Special Agent McGee."

"Yeah, that's me," McGee said.

"I'm Beverly, that's Thomas, that's Mike, and that's Devon," Beverly said.

"I'm Timothy McGee, but you can just call me McGee," McGee said.

"Your desk is over there," Beverly said pointing. "And basically all you do is look for people who are trying to hack our mainframe or the Pentagon, stop them, and then turn their information over to the Minor Case Response Team."

"Thanks," McGee said and headed for the computer in the back corner of the room. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

**So, I think I'm doing pretty well considering that I have work all the time. I hope you liked this chapter and everything I did with it. And, no, Vance does not know that Ziva is aboard the same ship that Tony is on. **

**Also, kudos to murmure etoile to correctly guessed what the chapter titles were a reference to. Now, everybody else, no peeking at her review, figure it out yourself. If no one else gets it in two chapters, I'll reveal!!**

**Much Love, Vamp**


	5. Keys Unlock Things

Keys Unlock Things

**Two Days Later…**

Tony stood on the deck, well away from the sailors, flipping the piece of paper that Melissa had given him with her phone number on it. She hadn't gotten around to explaining to Tony what she had meant. Tony looked at the paper in his hand and then pulled out his Sat phone and dialed.

* * *

Gibbs surveyed the bloody mess before him, his memory flashing between past and present. He had told the rest of the team to wait outside until he surveyed the scene. Noticing a piece of white underneath the body, Gibbs picked it up. It was an envelope addressed to _Special Agent DiNozzo._ Gibbs quickly put the envelope in his pocket, he would call Tony later. Just then, the small sound of a cell phone ringer caught Gibbs's attention. Gibbs looked around and saw the cell phone a few feet from the body. Gibbs picked it up and looked at the caller ID and then pressed send.

"Melissa, are you there? Melissa, it's Tony," Tony's voice sounded over the line.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Boss, what are you doing answering Melissa's phone, or did I dial the wrong number?" Tony asked.

"DiNozzo, Special Agent Melisa Doyle is dead," Gibbs said.

* * *

Ziva looked up from the book she was reading to see Tony walk into the room looking dejected.

"Tony, what is wrong?" Ziva asked, putting her book aside and sitting up.

"Melissa is dead. Gibbs got the call this morning; he answered her phone when I called. He said that there was an envelope by her body with my name on it. It was a thumbdrive, he's going to give it to McGee to look at," Tony said.

"Oh, Tony," Ziva said, standing up and gathering Tony in her arms. Tony allowed his head to rest of Ziva's shoulder, burying all of his emotions beneath the surface.

"Ok," Tony said, finally pulling away from Ziva. "So, what do we have on this terrorist?"

* * *

McGee looked up as the door to the Cyber Crimes Unit slammed open. In the doorway stood his old boss.

"Boss, what are you doing here?" McGee asked, standing up.

"McGee, I need to see you in my office, now," Gibbs said. McGee knew better then to argue so he stood up and followed Gibbs out of the room. Once they were in the elevator McGee turned to Gibbs.

"You do know that I don't work for you anymore, right?" McGee said, wondering if Gibbs's amnesia had comeback. His comment was met with a slap to the back of the head.

"I know that, McGee," Gibbs said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket.

"What's that?" McGee asked.

"The former agent afloat from the USS Ronald Reagan, Melissa Doyle, was found dead this morning in her home," Gibbs said. "I found this envelope at the scene, it had DiNozzo's name on it. It's a thumbdrive, see if you can get anything off of it."

"Okay," McGee said and took the envelope from Gibbs.

* * *

Ziva peered around the corner at the suspected terrorist. He was a twenty year old who could have had a bright future. He almost looked like Ari. He was a midshipman in charge of the galley. Gathering up the nerve, Ziva turned the corner.

"Excuse me, can you help me?" Ziva said, causing him to look up.

"Sure, what do you need?" the midshipman asked.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit lost," Ziva lied.

"What are you looking for?" the midshipman asked.

"I'm looking for my husband's office," Ziva said. "Agent DiNozzo."

"Oh, you're Tony's wife, Lisa, right?" the midshipman asked.

"Yes," Ziva said, blushing slightly. "That's me."

"If you go up theses stairs here, make a left, and it's down at the end of the hall on the right," the midshipman said.

"Thanks, what's your name?' Ziva asked as she began her ascent up the stairs.

"Kale Dubar," the midshipman said.

"Thanks for your help, Kale," Ziva said, and then disappeared up the steps.

* * *

McGee was working on the encrypted thumbdrive that Gibbs had given him when his inbox dinged. He opened his email and clicked on an email from Tony.

_McGee,  
__Have you finished decoding that thumbdrive yet? I really need to know what's in it. Tell Abs that I said hi.  
__Tony_

McGee rolled his eyes and quickly typed a response.

_Tony,  
__No, I have not finished with the thumbdrive, it's encrypted for a reason. I'll email the files to you when I'm finished. I'll tell Abby you said hi. She misses you.  
__McGee_

McGee then turned his attention back to the thumbdrive. However Melissa had encrypted it, she had encrypted it well. Finally McGee found a way in and what he saw made his jaw drop. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed Gibbs.

"Boss, you better get down here, now," McGee said.

Tony was about to close his laptop for the night when his inbox dinged. He quickly pulled up his email.

_Tony  
__Attached are the files that I pulled off of the thumbdrive. You really will be shocked at the information that Melissa had. Gibbs is trying to get you brought back here to Washington as well as Ziva.  
__McGee_

Tony double clicked on the attachment link and waited for the file to download. When it finished he brought it up on the screen and read through it. When he was finished he leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. He never would have suspected that Melissa had that much information on Vance.

Tony finally shut off his laptop and packed up his stuff, hardly containing his excitement at what he had found out.

* * *

When Tony entered his quarters he saw Ziva sound asleep on the bed, her hair across her face. A soft smile came to Tony's face. He had always thought that she was beautiful. He gently sat down on the bed a pushed a piece of hair out of Ziva's face. She stirred slightly and moaned softly causing Tony to smile again. He had always thought that she looked calmer when she slept, more feminine. Tony took his shirt off and lay down beside Ziva on the bed. He pulled her closer to him gently, expecting her to wake up and threaten him with bodily harm but she actually sighed and snuggled closer into Tony.

McGee sighed and shut down all of his computers. The other members of the Cyber Crimes Unit had left hours ago. He heard his phone ring in his pocket and pulled it out. It was a text message from Abby.

_Wanna grab a drink?_

McGee quickly replied.

_Sure._

* * *

**I am particularly proud of myself for updating every night, so round of applause for me!! (YAY ME!)**

**Please review, it makes me happy!!**

**Also, kudos to C. Sun and xoxEllexox who also correctly guessed the chapter title references. If you haven't gotten it by now, they all are and all will be from Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**I feel like Tony right now, I'm watching Magnum PI.**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	6. Maddeningly Unhelpful

Maddeningly Unhelpful

Gibbs looked up as the bullpen quieted. That could only mean one thing; Vance was on the catwalk. Gibbs looked to where he use to look at Jenny's smiling form, surveying the agency, her family. Vance's face was distorted into a grimace and he had the accustomed toothpick in his mouth.

"Special Agent Gibbs, I need to see you in my office," Vance finally said and then disappeared back the hallway. The volume in the bullpen gradually increased until it was back to normal. Gibbs pushed himself away from his desk and sprinted up the stairs.

When he arrived at the office, he saw Cynthia overseeing the maintenance men taking down the plaque that had Jenny's name on it, declaring it her office. Gibbs had been wondering how long it would take for Vance to do that. Gibbs looked at Cynthia and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"How are you holding up?" Gibbs asked.

"Pretty well, I miss Jenny like crazy though," Cynthia said. "Vance isn't that bad though, as a boss, I mean. I heard what he did to your team. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'll get them back soon enough," Gibbs said.

"Well, he's in there waiting for you," Cynthia said. "You better go in."

* * *

_Ziva looked around, she was in brightly lit white room. Suddenly she noticed someone in front of her and jumped back. It was a woman. She had the look of being beautiful once, but something, whether it had been stress, worry, or something else, had faded her beauty into a shadow. She had a ring on her finger, two actually, a wedding band and an engagement ring. Her sleeveless shirt showed numerous deep scars decorating her arm, as though she had been attacked unaware. Then the figure spoke._

"_Keep him safe," the woman whispered. With a start, Ziva realized that the woman was her._

Ziva awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Her whole body was soaked with cold sweat, as well as the sheets. Tony lay beside her, still asleep, but his eyes were fluttering.

"Ziva," Tony mumbled. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I had a nightmare," Ziva said. "Go back to sleep."

Ziva quietly slid off the bed around Tony. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She quietly gathered her things and stepped into the bathroom. She turned the hot water on until the steam had blocked the mirrors and stepped under the hot spray. She knew the dream had been a warning, but for what? Was something going to happen to Tony? More importantly, where did the scars that had appeared on her arm come from? Tears slowly leaked out of the corner of Ziva's eyes. Soon, her entire body was shaking with sobs. She heard the shower curtain open and someone placed a fluffy towel around her and then pulled her into their arms.

"Ziva, it's okay," Tony's voice said, calming. "Ziva, relax."

Ziva's sobs didn't quiet until an hour later when sleep finally reclaimed her body. Tony had changed the sheets and carried her back to bed. He covered her up; leaving her wrapped in the towel, and tucked her in tightly. Then he lay on top of the blankets that Ziva was covered up with, pulled her tightly to his chest and fell into his own fitful sleep.

* * *

Gibbs walked into Vance's office and immediately noticed the changes. Where the glass conference table had previously dominated the room there was now four leather arm chairs stood in a circle around a small wooden table. There was still a couch against the back wall but it was a different color and model. The coffee table in front of it where he and Jenny had shared so many dinners was also gone. The shelves that had once housed Jenny's bourbon in the crystal faceted decanter now held photos of Vance's wife and two sons. Notably absent from these photos was Vance himself except for a stiff looking family portrait that looked as though it had been taken in a studio.

A disgruntled cough brought Gibbs out of profiler mode and he turned his attention to Vance, who was sitting at his desk.

"You wanted to see me?" Gibbs asked, but they both knew it wasn't a question.

"Yes, I wanted to tell you that the Doyle case is closed," Vance said.

"May I ask why?" Gibbs asked, his gut tingling.

"We found the killer early this morning and we have a signed confession. He's currently in our custody," Vance said.

"Where's your evidence?" Gibbs asked.

"An agent of an armed federal agency was murdered, we don't need evidence," Vance said angrily, knowing that Gibbs was trying to undermine him.

"And are you going to tell the judge that? What about SecNav?" Gibbs asked.

"Special Agent Gibbs, you are dangerously close to being out of line. You will not investigate this case further, do you understand?" Vance said, rising out of his seat.

"Yes sir," Gibbs said. "Crystal." Gibbs then strode angrily out of the office. When he passed Cynthia, she urgently pressed something into his hand. Gibbs didn't look at the object until he was safe in the elevator. It was the name plaque that had adorned Jenny's door for so long reading, _Director Jennifer Shepard, NCIS. _Tears prickled the corners of Gibbs's eyes but he quickly brushed them away. Tomorrow he would ask McGee to track Vance's electronic footsteps from the night that Agent Doyle had been murdered but now, he thought maybe it was time to call in dome reinforcements. Gibbs took out his phone and dialed Fornell.

* * *

McGee entered Abby's lab and found her dressed in a black pants suit with her hair down. She wore no jewelry or make up, save for her initial necklace.

"Abs, what happened to you?" McGee asked stunned.

"I was in violation of the dress code," Abby said, obviously pissed.

"This is ridiculous, even Morrow let you dress the way you wanted to," McGee said, clearly outraged. Just then the computer beeped and both Abby and McGee turned to look at it.

"Hey, remember those DNA samples that Gibbs gave me from the Doyle crime scene?" Abby asked.

"I vaguely remember you mentioning it," McGee said. "Why?"

"You'll never guess who it belongs to," Abby said, disbelief on her face.

* * *

**Hehe, I know, I'm evil, I've left you with another cliffy and more questions than answers. Don't worry; all will reveal itself in good time. **

**I would just like to share that I read two excellent books over the weekend, which was why I didn't post. ****The Host**** by Stephanie Meyer and ****Blue Bloods: Masquerade**** by Melissa De La Cruz (No, I did not name Special Agent Doyle after her.) You all should check them out, they're really good.**

**And, guess what! One of the guys that I work with at my job is almost as obsessed with NCIS as I am. I found out last night and that's all we talked about until he left.**

**HAPPY READING!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	7. Pretend It's All A Bad Dream

Pretend It's All A Bad Dream

Abby called Gibbs and he arrived at the lab five minutes later. Gibbs studied the information for a minute and then turned to McGee.

"I don't care how you do it, McGee, but get Tony back here," Gibbs said. "I'll call Deputy Director David and see if I can get Zia back here."

"On it, Boss," McGee said.

"On what?" a voice from the doorway said. Abby quickly exited out of the search results as Vance stepped into the room.

"On getting me my lunch," Gibbs said smoothly, eyeing Vance.

"I wasn't aware that McGee still worked for you," Vance said.

"Old habits die hard," McGee spoke up, referring to his calling Gibbs boss.

"Don't you have work to do?" Vance asked McGee. McGee gave Gibbs a look but quickly exited the lab.

"It seems that even though I split them up, their loyalties still lie with you," Vance said.

"Seems that way," Gibbs said. "What would you like me to do that? I'm like their father. Weren't you aware that you split up more than a team, you split up a family?"

"So it would seem," Vance said. "I just received a phone call from the Reagan's skipper. Seems DiNozzo's wife has joined him aboard, a Lisa DiNozzo. Were you aware that DiNozzo had a wife?" Abby's eyes grew wide at the name, but stayed silent. Only the six on Gibbs's team knew that Thom E. Gemcity's books were about them.

"I was, it's not on his records because he was afraid that if someone was after him they would go after her as well," Gibbs said.

"Well, I'll have to bring DiNozzo back so I can meet this wonderful woman," Vance said. Abby's eyes grew wider and she started wringing her hands together. Vance didn't fail to notice. "Do you have something to say, Miss Scuito?"

"No, nothing at all," Abby squeaked.

"Good, I'll send another agent to the Reagan and bring DiNozzo and his bride home," Vance said.

* * *

Tony was in his office when a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter," Tony said. Midshipman Kale Dubar entered the room.

"Agent DiNozzo, there's a phone call for you from Director Vance," Kale said.

"Thank you midshipman," Tony said as he stood up. Just then, his email dinged. Tony sat back down and opened the email, it was from Abby.

_Tony,  
__Vance is ordering you back home so he can meet your wife. We know it's Ziva so you have to disguise her before you get here. Tony, please be careful.  
__Abby_

So that's why there was a phone call from Vance. Tony stood up and practically ran to the bridge to answer the phone.

* * *

Ziva looked over at Tony's sleeping form, his head against the window. They had just gotten off of the chopper that had brought them to land. Tony had fallen asleep while they were crossing the Atlantic and barely woken up when they got off. Tony had been getting less sleep then she had been and while her body was used to it, his was not.

They had stopped at a hotel so Ziva could dye her hair a brilliant red color. She had applied layers of light makeup, concealing her desert skin and she had inserted green contacts to disguise her eyes. She hoped that it would be enough. She and Tony had even practiced on speaking without her Israeli accent until he had fallen asleep on the chopper.

As Ziva pulled into the parking lot of NCIS, the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably; she had a bad feeling about this. It seemed too sudden, Vance wanting to meet Tony's hidden wife. Ziva leaned over and shook Tony gently.

"Tony, wake up," Ziva said. "We're here."

"Yes, Lisa, my love," Tony mumbled as he opened his eyes. Ziva rolled her eyes, grabbed her purse, and got out of the car. Tony reluctantly followed her around to the front of the building. When they reached the front doors, warning bells started going off in Ziva's head, something wasn't right.

"Tony," Ziva said as she reached around his waist and pulled his Sig from the holster, he was still to sleepy to be of any use. "I think we should go back to the car."

Suddenly, the windows shattered outwards onto Tony and Ziva, littering them with glass. Ziva instinctively placed herself in front of Tony and winced as multiple pieces of glass embedded themselves into her arms, thanks to her sleeveless shirt.

"Tony, we have to go, now," Ziva said, pulling Tony away from the building, the initial explosion had woken Tony up and now he was the one dragging Ziva away from the building.

Ziva heard it before it happened, the sound of a huge fireball erupting out of the front of the building. Tony must heard it too because he pulled Ziva to the ground and they both instinctively protected the back of their necks.

* * *

Abby was pacing back and forth in her lab nervously. McGee was sitting in her computer chair, watching her back and forth.

"They should be here by now," Abby said nervously. Just then, the floor rocked dangerously and Abby and McGee heard a loud boom coming from upstairs. The floor rocked again violently, causing the cabinet closest to Abby to fall to the ground.

"Abby," McGee yelled as he dived out of the chair and pushed Abby out of the way. The cabinet fell with a crash to the floor. The lights flickered ominously and then went out.

"What was that?" Abby asked in a near whisper.

"I don't know," McGee said as he picked himself up and then held his hand out to Abby so she could pull herself up. They heard footsteps in the hallway and Gibbs burst through the door and right behind him was Ducky and Palmer.

"Abby, you okay?" Gibbs said, pulling Abby into his arms and hugging her tightly, making sure for himself that he was alright. "And Tim"

"We're fine, Boss," McGee said.

"What happened?" Abby asked as she pulled away from Gibbs.

"There was an explosion upstairs, out front," Gibbs said.

"Oh my God," Abby said, her eyes light up with realization. "Tony and Ziva."

* * *

When Tony looked up, he saw the entire face of the NCIS building destroyed. There were people picking themselves up off of the streets and there were still flames licking the edges of the gaping hole in the building.

"Ziva," Tony breathed, searching around him for her. She was right next to him; face down on the ground, her hand still slung across the back of her neck, although it had gone slack. Tony then noticed the blood from the cuts on her arm staining the ground and her shirt. Tony carefully flipped Ziva over. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was shallow and fast. Tony shook her gently, trying to get her to come around.

"Come on, Ziva," Tony said, his heart breaking with every breath she didn't wake up.

* * *

**HA, another cliffy. You guys probably hate me right about now, but I feel particularly proud of myself for updating twice in one day. Don't get used to it though, I called into work sick and that's the only reason that you got another update.**

**Thanks to Cable Addict (who I can finally IM again) for being my sounding bored. This chapter is for you!!**

**Please review, please??**

**Much Love, Vamp**


	8. What Is It You Want Most?

What Is It You Want Most?

Tony didn't hear the sirens until they were screaming on top of him. The paramedics saw him trying to revive Ziva and ran over immediately. They gently pushed Tony aside and began working on Ziva.

"What's her name?" the one paramedic asked. This is where time came to a standstill for Tony, he knew that she would be less likely to respond to Lisa, but it might blow their cover if Vance came out to see the damage.

"Lisa," Tony said, making his decision.

"How old is she?" the other paramedic asked. Tony tried to remember, she had mentioned it before and he had read it in her file.

"Twenty-eight," Tony said finally. The paramedic who asked picked up the radio and called it in.

"We have a twenty-eight year old female, victim of the NCIS bombing, unconscious, multiple lacerations on her arms. Heart rate is one-twenty, BP is seventy over ninety, and respiration is thirty-two," the paramedic said.

"Where are you taking her?" Tony asked, following the paramedics after they had strapped Ziva onto the bodyboard.

"Bethesda," the paramedic who had asked for Ziva's name said.

"I'm coming with her," Tony said.

* * *

Gibbs ran outside just in time to see Tony follow a paramedic into an ambulance. Gibbs knew that this could only mean one thing; Ziva had been hurt in the explosion. Gibbs ran back inside, around the destruction and ran back to the lab.

"Zi-Lisa was hurt in the explosion," Gibbs said breathlessly when he arrived at the lab.

"Where are they taking her?" Abby asked, tears slowing forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Probably Bethesda," McGee said.

"Then let's go," Abby said as she tried to bolt towards the door, but McGee grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Abby, you can't go bolting off to be by the side of a woman you supposedly just found out about yesterday," McGee said.

"Tony will need, us, isn't that a good enough reason?" Abby said.

"No, Abby," Gibbs said gently. "We don't want Vance to suspects Lisa's real identity." Tears were now pooling in Abby's eyes and her lip quivered.

"But she needs us," Abby whispered.

* * *

Once Tony arrived at the hospital with the paramedics, he was shoved out into the ER waiting room with nurse's promising to update him on Ziva's condition. Tony couldn't escape the image of Ziva laying in the street, her own blood pooling beneath her.

Through his silent depression, he heard the hurried footsteps and loud babbling that he had come to associate with Abby. She appeared around the corner and flew into Tony's arms.

"Thank God you're okay," Abby said, but when she pulled her hands away, they had blood on them. "Tony, you're bleeding," Abby said, horrified.

"Really?" Tony asked, feeling the back of his head. Sure enough, it felt sticky and wet.

"Nurse," Abby yelled and one came running over.

"What's the problem?" the nurse asked and then saw the blood on both Abby's and Tony's hand. "Who's bleeding?"

"I am," Tony said.

"Come with me, I'll fix you up," the nurse said, leaving Abby to wait for the rest of the team.

While the nurse was irrigating Tony's wound, Tony thought to ask about Ziva.

"There was a woman brought in, from the NCIS explosion, she's my wife, do you know how she is?" Tony asked.

"No, but I can find out for you," the nurse said as she began stitching up the cut on the back of Tony's head.

"Could you, please?" Tony asked, his voice cracking. The nurse noticed and her expression softened.

"What's her name?" the nurse asked.

"Lisa DiNozzo," Tony said. The nurse waved over an orderly and whispered in his ear. He quickly disappeared, leaving the nurse to finish stitching Tony's head.

* * *

_Ziva was floating in the same white room that she had been dreaming about. She was still covered in blood which sharply contrasted with the stark white of the room. The mirror was gone and she believed herself to be alone, until Jenny walked into the room._

"_Red does nothing to flatter you, Ziva," Jenny said._

"_It always did look better on you," Ziva replied._

"_I'm impressed, you adopting your disguise from Cairo. Trying to remember me?" Jenny asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "I never pegged you to be nostalgic."_

"_I know," Ziva said. "Am I dead?"_

"_No," Jenny said. "You're in between."_

"_I've been dreaming about this place," Ziva said._

"_I know," Jenny said._

"_Can I ask you something?" Ziva asked._

"_Sure," Jenny said._

"_Did you know?" Ziva asked._

"_About what?" Jenny asked, clearly confused._

"_About Vance," Ziva said. Jenny sighed deeply and she looked ashamed._

"_Yes."_

"_Why didn't you tell anyone? You could have prevented Vance from becoming director in the first place," Ziva said._

"_I don't know," Jenny said. Suddenly, the room became darker and Jenny started fading from view. "Tell Jethro I love him."_

* * *

After Gibbs had convinced his team to stay and process the scene, he and McGee followed Abby to Bethesda. They found Abby sitting in the waiting room by herself.

"Where's Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"He had a cut on the back of his head," Abby said. "A nurse took him back." Gibbs looked around to make sure that no one from NCIS was around and then looked back at Abby.

"And Ziva?" Abby shrugged her shoulders.

"No idea," Abby said. Just then, Tony walked down the hallway.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs yelled.

"Yeah, Boss," Tony said, looking confused. He hadn't even been around Gibbs long enough to go something wrong.

"How's your head?" Gibbs asked, a smile gracing the corner of his mouth.

"Excuse me," a doctor said from behind McGee. "I'm looking for the family of Lisa DiNozzo." All four of them swiveled their heads towards the doctor.

"I'm her husband," Tony finally spoke up.

"Your wife is awake and doing fine," the doctor said.

"Can I see her?" Tony asked.

"Of course. She was also asking for a Jethro Gibbs," the doctor said. Tony and Gibbs looked at each other but followed the doctor down the hall.

* * *

When they got to Ziva's room, she was sitting up in bed, looking bored.

"Hey," Tony said as he sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand in his. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Ziva snapped.

"What did the doctor say?" Gibbs asked.

"That I must stay overnight for observation," Ziva said.

"Then you'll stay overnight," Tony said, looking at Gibbs for help. Ziva opened her mouth to respond but was silenced when Gibbs looked at her.

"We'll wait for you," Gibbs said, answering Ziva's unvoiced question.

* * *

**Hehe, another cliffy, although not quiet and hanging as the last chapter's.**

**I would just like to say I told you so to aserene, who told me I was dead……… (Hehe, I know you were kidding)**

**Also, thank you Cable Addict for that invigorating pep talk yesterday. I didn't finish it last night because there was a thunderstorm. And thank you also for giving me ideas when I go stuck.**

**Please review, you know you want to!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	9. It's Just Good Business

It's Just Good Business

The next day, after Ziva was released, Tony drove himself and Ziva over to NCIS. They had left the hospital with instructions to keep Ziva's arms dry, bandaged, and clean. Tony had brought Ziva one of his Ohio State hoodies to put one so no one could question her wounds. He had also brought her a pair of his sweatpants so that for their final stand against Vance, they could play their part to the end.

* * *

Gibbs stood in Abby's lab, looking at the computer.

"Abby, are you absolutely sure about this? It has to be concrete," Gibbs said.

"I'm sure. Agent Banes brought me this piece of the bomb and it had on fingerprint on it, and it matches. Thirteen points," Abby said. Gibbs kissed the top of her head gently.

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said, and then headed out of the lab, McGee tailing him.

* * *

Gibbs waited until Tony and Ziva had arrived before leading the team upstairs. He had already called Fornell, who was on his way with his team and Gibbs had warned Cynthia to stay away. For once, when he got upstairs, Gibbs actually knocked on the door. Ziva had the folder with all of the information stowed in her purse, waiting for the right moment to reveal it.

"Come in," Vance called from the depths of the office and the four stepped inside the office. "Ah, I see that I finally get to meet DiNozzo's mystery woman." Ziva shyly peeked out from around Tony, playing her part perfectly. They didn't want Vance to suspect anything until the last minute.

"Director Vance, this is my wife, Lisa. I hope you excuse her appearance, she was discharged from the hospital this morning," Tony said, pulling Ziva out from behind him. Vance held out his hand and Ziva shook her, letting the hair that was hanging across her face disguise her even more.

"You look familiar, have I met you before?" Vance asked as he looked Ziva up and down again.

"I don't think so. I haven't met any of Tony's colleagues before, except Agent Gibbs, of course," Ziva replied, trying to hide the smirk on her face. Vance then turned to Gibbs.

"Miss Scuito emailed me; apparently you have a lead on the bomb?" Vance asked.

"We do," Gibbs said as he pulled the file out of Ziva's bag. "We found a piece of the bomb with an intact fingerprint on it."

"And?" Vance asked.

"We got a thirteen point match," McGee said.

"If you got a match, that means that they're in the system," Vance said. Gibbs said nothing, but pulled the results out of the folder and set them down in front of Vance.

"I don't know Leon, you tell me," Gibbs said. Vance didn't say anything, but he slowly pulled the toothpick slowly out of his mouth.

"You can't prove it," Vance said. Once again, Gibbs didn't answer, but pulled out the other two files and set them in front of Vance.

"You killed Agent Doyle because she had information on you that you didn't want anyone to find out. Remember when you were in college and all of those girls turned up raped with their throats slit? Melissa did. She saw you one night, covered in blood, knew what you had been up to. She went to the police, but they could never prove that you did it," Gibbs said. "You raped and murdered six girls. You killed Melissa Doyle, and you planted the bomb, hoping that Tony would be outside and it would kill him."

Just then, Fornell burst through the door accompanied by Agent Sacks and Agent Langer.

"Director Vance, you are hereby suspended as Director of NCIS. You are under arrest for the School Girl murders, the murder of Special Agent Melissa Doyle, and for the attempted murder of Special Agent Tony DiNutso and Officer David," Fornell said as Sacks walked around the desk and handcuffed Vance.

* * *

Abby paced nervously in her lab, waiting to hear any news from the team. Ducky was waiting with her and he sat there silently, occasionally patting Abby's hand to reassure her. Finally, Gibbs walked through the door, hiding a smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Well?" Abby asked, throwing herself at Gibbs.

"You're looking at the new temporary Director of NCIS," Gibbs said and Abby squealed.

"We did it!" Abby exclaimed.

* * *

The first thing Gibbs did as acting Director was call Director David in Tel Aviv and inform him that Ziva's services were needed again. Director David turned Ziva's paper's over to NCIS, making her an official Agent.

The second thing that Gibbs did was reassigned his team back to himself and disband his other team, which they did not take well.

* * *

**I know it's so short, but it did what it was supposed to do. Now you know what was in the files, and the results. I will have you know that some of this chapter was written on receipt paper. Hehe, write anywhere any time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it answers your questions, never fear though, there is one more chapter on the way. And don't forget to review!!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


	10. Why Is The Rum Always Gone?

Why Is The Rum Always Gone?

The next night Abby invited everyone out clubbing to celebrate. Gibbs and Ducky politely declined but everyone else had agreed to go. That morning Abby had helped Ziva dye her hair back to brown, but in some places the red had stuck, leaving Ziva with striking highlights that had made Tony's jaw drop when he saw.

Through some unspoken agreement Ziva and Tony had remained together. They had finally realized how much they needed each other to function on a day to day basis. When Gibbs had seen them holding hands long after Vance had been led away in handcuffs he had said nothing, but smiled and inclined his head, letting them know that he was okay with it.

Right before Ziva and Abby left NCIS to get ready, Ziva pulled Gibbs aside.

"Yes, Ziva," Gibbs asked.

"When I was in the hospital, I saw Jenny," Ziva began.

"And?" Gibbs asked.

"She said to tell you that she loved you," Ziva said. Gibbs didn't answer her, but pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you for telling me," Gibbs finally said.

* * *

Tony and McGee stood in front of Abby's apartment, leaning against McGee's Porsche. McGee had agreed to play Thom E Gemcity so that the four could get into a new club that had just opened.

Finally Abby appeared from the door dressed in her clubbing finest.

"Where's Ziva?" Tony asked. Abby didn't say anything but turned to look at the door. Ziva stepped out and Tony's jaw dropped for the second time that day.

Ziva was dressed in a backless silver dress that stopped about mid-thigh. She had gladiator sandals strapped to her feet that were attached to three inch heels. She had on dangling earrings and a silver choker around her neck.

"Ziva, you look, wow," Tony said, causing Ziva to smile slightly.

"Thank you, Tony," Ziva said. Tony helped Ziva climb into the car and then followed her into the back.

"Mr. Gemcity, to the club please," Tony said.

* * *

Several hours after they had arrived to the club, all four were profoundly drunk. Tony had started quoting Pirates of the Caribbean.

"Why is the rum always gone?" Tony slurred as he looked at the bottom of his empty glass. He stood up, presumably to get another drink and stumbled slightly against the table. "Oh, that's why," Tony mumbled, causing the others to laugh.

At the end of the night, McGee called Gibbs to pick up his Porsche while the others rode home in a cab.

Tony stumbled into his apartment, followed by a slightly less drunk Ziva. Tony wandered back to his room and threw himself on the bed.

"Ugh, the room is spinning," Tony mumbled. Ziva repositioned Tony's leg so it was touching the floor.

"Better?" Ziva asked.

"Yes," Tony declared. "Everything is better. Vance is out of the office, Gibbs is Director, and we're together. Nothing could possibly go wrong."

* * *

**Not very long, I know, but this took me forever to write this. I had a strange aversion to my computer, I didn't even open my laptop for two days, I used my boyfriends computer to check my email. I only just caught up on my reading yesterday after I got home from work.**

**The Girl Next Door will be up and running soon, I promise. I need to get back on track with that.**

**Please review, and thanks to all of my previous reviewers. Happy Reading!**

**Much Love,  
Vamp**


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